fischer



(No Model.)

P. J. W. FISCHER.

LEAD 0R GRAYON HOLDER.

N. PETERS. Phono-Lnhugnpher. wnsmngton. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK J. NV. FISCHER, OF JERSEY CITY, NEV JERSEY, ASSIGNCR T THE EAGLE PENCIL COMPANY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

LEAD oR CRAYON HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,044, dated February 9, 1886.

Application liled April 29, 1885.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. XV. FISCHER, of Jersey City, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and use ful Improvement in Lead and Crayon Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement has reference to that kind of pencil or lead and crayon holder now known to the trade as the Automatic-Drop Pencil, of which the holder set forth in Reissued Letters Patent No. 10,335, of June 5, 1883, and in British Letters Patent N o. 1,046, of A. D. 1883, for the same invention, may be considered the type. y

The object of the present improvement is to obtain a holder of this kind in which the drop device containing the lead is combined with a propelling mechanism, by which the lead or crayon contained in said device may be moved therein as required. In other words,the object is to combine in a convenient, simple, and effective wayin one device the characteristics of a propeller and an automatic drop pencil.

To this end I combine, with the sheath or holder and the jaws for holding thedrop device in its projected position, a drop device embracing the essential characteristics of a propeller-peneil-that is to say, an inner tube containing thelead and follower for propelling the same, and an outer tube capable of rotary movement on said inner tube, the propeller being engaged by the outer tube through the medium of a screw-thread or its equivalent in such manner that when the one tube is rotated longitudinally with respect to the other the propeller will be moved forward or backward in the lead-containing tube, according` tothe direction of rotation. The combination of these parts-to wit,the sheath, grasping` mechanism, and propeller drop device-is such that one of the tubes of the propeller drop device is connected to the grasping mechanism or external holder in such manner as to be incapable of rotary movement with respect thereto, while the other one of said tubes is left free to revolve, the result being that when the drop device is projected from the holder the lead can readily be adjusted bytaking hold of the projecting end o of the drop device and rotating it with respect to the sheath, such rotary movement effecting Serial No. 163,832. (No model.)

the longitudinal ymovement one direction or the other-,a rection of rotation. The grasping-jaws which hold the pencil project beyond the end ofthe holder like the jaws of the ordinary Automatie pencil, and they are arranged to take hold of the propeller drop-peneil when the latter is in its projected position at a point near and in rear of the propeller-tip, thus holding 6o and steadying the pencil at a point nearits tip, without, however, interfering in any way with the manipulation ofthe propeller-tip requisite for the purpose of adjusting the lead.

In the accompanying drawings is represented the preferred embodiment ofthe invention.

Figure l is a longitudinal central section of the holder with the drop device entirely within said holder. Fig. Zis a longitudinal lcentral section of the same, partly in elevation, the line of section being at right angles to that in Fig. I, and the parts being in the position they assume when the jaws are pushed forward and expanded, and the drop device protrudes from the holder. Fig. 3 is a like secti`on,partly in elevation, with the parts in the position they occupy when the jaws have closed upon the protruding drop device.

A is the external sheath or handle, provided 8o with a contracted tip or front end, A', from which project the grasping-jaws B, which have a spring action and are set to normally stand apart. The j aws are carried by a tubular stem, B', longitudinally movable within the sheath, 8.-, and terminating at the rear end in apressure cap, C, which projects from the rearof the sheath. Between the pressure-cap and ashoulder, a, on the interior of the sheath is the retractingspring E. A lug, b, on the stem B C projects into a slot, c, in the lining D, for the purpose ol'l limiti ng thelongitudinal movement of the stem. Thus the jaws and their stem can move lengthwise with respectto the sheath, but cannot rotate independently of the same. The retracting spring normally draws back thejaws into the contracted nozzle A', which of the follower in ccording to the dicauses the jaws to close.

Thus far the holder diffe respect from the well -kn pencil now in the market.

The propeller drop device which is eom rs in no essential own Automatic77 roo bined with said holder consists of an inner tube, d, provided with a tip or nozzle, d', a propeller or follower consisting of a stern, c, fitting snugly within tube d, and provided on opposite sides with lugs f, wh-ich project through longitudinal slots g in said tube, and

are cut on their exterior faces with screw-4 threads f', and an external tube, h, which its and is adapted to rotate on the inner tube, and is held thereon between the shoulder d2 and a flange, d3, on the rear end of the tube, usually formed by upsetting said end, said external tube being internally screw-threaded to engage the screw-threaded lugs f of the follower or propeller. The two tubes thus are capable of rotary movement only with respect to each other, and consequently by rotating the outer tube the propeller f will be caused to move lengthwise in the inner tube, thus advancing the lead x, to compensate for wearing away of the latter. rlhe propeller drop device thus organized is placed within the jaws B and their tubular stem B', and one of the tubesin this instance the outer tube, h--is caused to engage the tubular stem B by a lug, h', on it, which enters a longitudinal slot, i, in the said stem. The tube h is thus capable of longitudinal movement with respect to the stem and handle, but is incapable of rotary movement with respect thereto.- Said tube h at its outer end is scored or indented, as seen at h2, to form an annular recess to be entered by the graspingjaws, and the slot t' is of such length that the propeller movement will be contained entirely within the sheath, while at the other extreme of its movement-wiz., when the stop-lug h brings up against the front end of slot i-the drop device will project just far enough to bring the groove h'Z to a position where the jaws B in closing lwill enter it.

The groove or recess h2, while formed in that tube, h, which has no rotary movement with respect to the grasping-jaws. is located at or just in rear of the point where this tube meets the propeller-tip d, which is secured to or forms part of the inner rotatable tube, d. Thus the pencil when projected is grasped firmly and steadied at av point near its outer end, while at the same time the jaws which perform this office do not at all interfere with the operation of rotating the propeller-tip for the purpose of adjnstinghthe lead, and, furthermore, the pencil when released from the grasping-jaws, is entirely loose and free to move back and forth in the holder without impediment. Thus when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. l, and it is desired to project thevdrop-pencil for use, the holder is held point downward and the pressure-cap is dedrop device at one extreme of itsv pressed, thus pushing forward and opening the jaws B. The drop-pencil, being free to drop, falls until the lug h brings up against4 the front end of slot i, Pressure is now removed from the pressure-cap, and the retracting-spring at once pulls back the jaws (and the propeller-pencil also) until said jaws' are caused to close upon the propeller-pencil and enter the groove h2, as seen in Fig. 3. In this position the pencil is ready for use, and if the lead x does not protrude far enough, all that is needed is to hold the sheath in one hand and to rotate the tube d by its nozzle d in the proper direction to cause the propeller or follower e to advance and push or carry forward the lead. In this way I combine in one pencil the useful characteristics of a propeller and an automatic-drop pencil.

What I claim herein as new and of my own invention is I. The combination, with the sheath, the pressure-cap, the retracting-spring, the grasping-jawsextending beyond the front end of the sheath, and a stop for limiting the extent to which the pencil can protrude from the sheath, of a propeller drop-pencil longitudi-zV nally movable as a whole in said sheath, having the inner one of the tubes of which it is composed free to revolve independently of the sheath, and terminating at the front in a propeller-tip, and the other of said tubes connected tol said sheath, so as to be incapable of rotation independently thereof, and provided at or near the point where it meetsthe propeller-tip with a recess or groove for reception of the acting ends of the grasping-jaws, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, with the sheath, the pressure-cap, the retracting-spring, thevjawcarrying st.em,.and the grasping-jaws projecting beyond the sheath, of the tube h, internally screw-threaded and provided with a lug to enter a longitudinal slot in `thejaw-carrying stem, and witha groove or. recess, h2, for the: jaws, the inner rotatable longitudinally-slotted lead-tube d, provided with a propeller-tip, d', projecting beyond the front end of tube h, and

ICO

the follower or propeller contained in said tube d, and screw -threaded to engage the tube 71 intending to claim none of these parts separately, but only the combination of all of them,when constructed, arranged, and operating as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of April, 1885.

FREDERICK J. W. FISCHER. Witnesses:

SAMUEL vKanus, Jon W. Srv-AINE.

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